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United States Patent | 5,644,730 |
Fayfield | July 1, 1997 |
A binary sensor including a binary sensing circuit, a logic circuit and an adaptive interface card adapted to matingly engage the binary sensor. The binary sensing circuit and logic circuit are operatively coupled for communication with external circuits. The adaptive interface card includes bus network interface circuitry that disables the logic circuit and enables the bus network interface circuitry upon matingly engaging the interface card with the binary sensor. The bus network interface circuitry also becomes operatively coupled with the sensing circuit upon matingly engaging the adaptive interface card with the binary sensor. The bus network interface circuitry of the adaptive interface card provides a means for the binary sensor to communicate with bus networks. Each adaptive interface card includes one of a plurality of bus network circuits each having its own separate and distinct protocol which defines communication with at least one bus network having the same separate and distinct protocol as that of the bus network interface circuitry.
Inventors: | Fayfield; Robert W. (Shorewood, MN) |
Assignee: | Banner Engineering Corp. (Minneapolis, MN) |
Appl. No.: | 409262 |
Filed: | March 22, 1995 |
Current U.S. Class: | 710/301; 340/619; 340/634; 340/644 |
Intern'l Class: | G06F 013/40; G06F 013/10 |
Field of Search: | 395/282,283 307/125,131 340/825.57,825.66,825.89,825.06,634,664,644,619 |
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